User talk:CLA

Tutorial for graphics page.

Creating your own

Creating your own Tileset

• add some info from tileset page
• deciding on size: dimension stuff (tile size: subdivisions - 16 is divisible by 2/4/8, 18 by 3/6/9, 20 by 5/10, etc; center - uneven sizes have a center tile, even don't; screen resolution - see tile page; popularity - ties in with screen resolution and available creature graphics, some tile sizes are more popular than others)
• start by editing existing tileset and replacing tiles piece by piece. Decide on "base tileset"
• basic editing tutorial
  • basic photoshop stuff: masks, layers, alpha channel transparency, some tools (pen, eraser, selection tools) (get someone to add GIMP equivalents)
  • good practices: non-destructive editing, using separate layers, organizing in groups and naming layers, grid (plus subgrid, pixel grid), debug layers, save often.
  • walkthrough of making a new tileset
    • preparation download fresh DF install, put into separate test directory, make world, start fortress, ideally with a typical fortress and all objects visible somehow
    • open base tileset of your choice (square vanilla in this case?), set grid to right size, make visible
    • bmp or png, magenta/alpha transparency
      • use png, and alpha transparency, if you start with bmp, make layer from background, select magenta with wand, press del. save as psd
      • first debug/auxiliary layer : black background; new layer, move to back, [d], alt+del. Give it a nice name and color in layers menu
    • change bed, give dwarf beard:
      • non-destructive editing: select dwarf & bed tile, layer with copy.
      • select base layer again, invert selection, press mask button, lock layer, save as psd
      • select new layer, draw beard on with pen
      • erase bed, draw new bed
    • save as psd again
    • test out your creation
      • make debug layers invisible
      • save for web & devices: png-24, alpha transparency in data/art.
      • open data/init/init.txt, point to your new tileset
      • load up DF, marvel at your artistic genius.
    • Not good enough yet? Kill DF (strg+shift+esc), change in PS, overwrite tileset, start DF again.

advanced stuff/raw changes

• init & raw changes, link to tileset lists
• most commonly used tiles with multiple meanings: u-d-stairs/bins/cursor/archery, male/female
• note on unused tiles
• compatibility, dependency, conflicts, maintainance across versions (file changes.txt, etc)
• TODO: best place to add documentation about raw syntax (plants, init, etc)

tricks and magic

• how df blends colors/background/foreground
• transparency, partial transparency (including opaque background tiles), engraving, INVERTED, animated tiles

advanced photoshop stuff

actions: automating common steps. for example export: select debug layers, make invisible, save for web and devices

TODO: copypasta.txt includes some old tutorials I wrote, check it.

stuff to change on tileset page once everything's in place

• clarify graphic set, character set, tileset in first part
• move/change graphic set stuff to graphic set page, add link?
• main creature tiles section: add something like "for a list with raw names see {here|link to graphic set#table}"
• still necessary/useful with graphic set page in place? remove it altogether? Discuss with King Mir
• others should definitely stay, they can't be changed with graphic sets.

Creature Graphics

this page

• conflicts, reminder to delete example files or better, overwrite with empty file
• link to list of creatures by tile, add names grabbed from raws with wiki template;
• testing (link to utilities#raw explorer)
• suggestions about grouping

TODO for 'graphic set' page (listed here for drafting)

• Lists how to automatically grab them from raws?
  • table: List of professions -- {name|RAW_NAME|vanilla symbol/color} <-separated by titles for each civ? or are they the same? superscript for "not available in civ X"?
  • table: List of creatures -- {name|RAW_NAME|GIANT_RAW_NAME|RAW_MEN_NAME|vanilla symbols/colors}*list of inconsistently named creatures to be aware of
    • inconsistently named creatures in different background color

• templates
  • .psd templates will they work in gimp?
  • text templates, complete with dimensions so you just have to draw. separated by biome?

TrueType Font

• bug, commonly missing symbols in existing TTF, fontforge

Colors

• add short intro
• be aware of contrasting colors, best to test how every color looks withe every other color

add it all together

• releasing your own stuff
• dffd, other file hosts
• updating to a new version, resolving conflicts: change log, file changes.txt, diff